Wireless earbuds have become a daily essential for many of us. Whether it’s listening to music during a commute, joining a work call or simply blocking out the noise around us, good earbuds make a big difference.
I realised this again while testing both the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3 over the past few weeks. One morning, I was sitting in a crowded cafe while finishing some writing work. I switched between the two earbuds just to see how they handled the noisy environment. With one pair, the cafe noise faded almost completely. With the other, the noise reduction was still good, but the sound felt slightly more natural.
That moment made me realise how interesting the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro vs AirPods Pro 3 comparison really is. Both are premium earbuds with strong active noise cancellation, excellent sound quality and smart ecosystem features. But they approach the experience differently.
Specifications
| Specifications | Galaxy Buds 4 Pro | AirPods Pro 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers | Dual driver (11mm woofer + planar tweeter) | Custom Apple driver |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Adaptive ANC 2.0 | Advanced ANC |
| Audio Codecs | Samsung Seamless Codec, AAC, SBC | AAC, SBC |
| Spatial Audio | Yes (Galaxy devices) | Yes, with head tracking |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth 6.1 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Ecosystem | Samsung Galaxy / Android | Apple iOS / macOS |
| Water Resistance | IP57 (Buds only) | IP57 (Buds and Case) |
| Battery Life | Up to 6 hours | Up to 8 hours |
| Colors | White, Black and Pink (Pink is available online exclusively) | White |
| Price | $249.99 USD | $249 USD |
Design and Comfort
I’ve spent a lot of time with both of these in my ears and let me tell you, the Samsung has shifted the design this year. They’ve moved away from the bean shape to the sleek, metallic-finished stem design. These look like there is more tech in them than the AirPods.
The case has this cool transparent lid that lets you see if the buds are actually inside, a small touch, but I can’t tell you how many times it saved me from walking out the door with an empty case.
The AirPods Pro 3, on the other hand, stick to that iconic white, minimalistic look. Apple hasn’t changed the vibe much, but they’ve refined the fit in a way that actually matters for long-term wear.
Even though the AirPods are technically a bit heavier at 5.5g compared to the Buds at 5.1g, Apple’s internal vent system makes them feel lighter because they don’t give you that clogged ear pressure.
The earbuds fit is where things got really personal for me. Samsung’s angular stems are great for gripping with sweaty hands, but Apple finally added an XXS tip size with a new foam-infused silicone. My right ear is always a pain to fit earbuds into, but that tiny tip made them feel like a custom mould.
I’m also a bit of a clumsy, so the durability was a big test. Both are IP57 rated, meaning they can survive a 30-minute dunk in a meter of water.
However, there’s a catch, the AirPods Pro 3 case is also waterproof, while the Samsung case isn’t. I’ve dropped my AirPods case in a puddle during a rainy jog and it didn’t miss a beat, whereas I’d be much more cautious with the Galaxy Buds. If you want that modern, blade style, go Samsung, but if you want a fit you can forget about and a case that survives everything, Apple has the edge.
Sound Quality
Samsung uses a specialised dual-driver system, an 11mm woofer for that deep, punchy bass and a 5.5mm planar tweeter for the crisp details. If you’re like me and want to feel the kick drum during a workout, these are a blast. Plus, if you’re on a Samsung phone, you get 24-bit/96kHz Hi-Fi audio, which honestly makes my Spotify playlists sound like a live studio session.
The real win for the Galaxy Buds is the 8-band EQ. Most audio wearables lock you into their signature sound, but I love being able to tweak the sliders to make acoustic guitars sparkle or pull back the bass when I’m winding down. It makes the listening experience feel like it was actually built for my ears.
The AirPods Pro 3 take a refined approach. You don’t get a bunch of EQ sliders to play with, but Apple’s Adaptive EQ is so smart it does the work for you. It uses inward-facing mics to listen to what you’re hearing and adjusts the sound in real-time based on your fit. The soundstage feels wider than the Galaxy Buds, it’s like the music is happening in a room around you rather than just inside your head.
Apple also introduced Lossless Audio and Pro-level Spatial Audio this year, but it’s most noticeable if you’re watching movies or using an Apple Vision Pro. For my daily listening, the AirPods feel more natural and balanced. They don’t have that aggressive club bass, making them much better for long-form podcasts or relaxing lo-fi beats while I’m working.
My Take: If you want a high-energy sound you can customise to perfection, go with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro. If you want a set it and forget it experience with incredible clarity, the AirPods Pro 3 are the way to go.
Active Noise Cancellation
Apple redesigned the internal architecture with ultra-low noise microphones and new foam-infused ear tips that physically block out more sound before the software even kicks in. They claim it’s twice as effective as the previous generation.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro take a more active approach with Adaptive ANC 2.0. Instead of just blasting a wall of anti-noise, they use three high-SNR microphones per bud to listen to the room and surgically strike specific frequencies. I found these better in a busy office, they were much quicker at muting the chatter of my coworkers or the click-clack of mechanical keyboards.
Samsung also added a really cool safety feature called Siren Detect. While I was jogging near a busy road, the buds actually recognised an ambulance siren and instantly dipped the ANC so I could stay aware. Apple has something similar with Loud Sound Reduction, which keeps the music going but protects your ears from sudden harsh noises like construction, it’s like having a smart volume knob for the real world.
When it comes to Transparency Mode, Apple still holds the crown. It uses the H2 chip to process external sounds so naturally that I genuinely forgot I had them in while talking to a flight attendant. Samsung’s Voice Detect is great, it automatically switches to Ambient mode the second you start speaking, but there’s still a tiny robotic hiss that reminds you you’re listening through a microphone.
Battery Life and Charging
The AirPods Pro 3 are the marathon runners here. I managed to get a solid 8 hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC on. If you’re like me and love the Spatial Audio with head tracking, that drops slightly to about 7.5 hours, which is still impressive. They even added a new heart rate sensing feature for workouts that gives you about 6.5 hours, plenty for a long run or a gym session.
The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are a bit different. I got about 6 hours of music with ANC on, which is usually enough for my morning, but I had to pop them back in the case during my lunch break. However, Samsung wins on the total case battery. With the ANC off, the total playtime, including the case, is a whopping 30 hours, compared to Apple’s 24 hours.
When I was in a rush, both saved my life with quick charging. Just 5 minutes in the case gave me about an hour of listening time on both. It’s worth noting that the Galaxy case has a massive 530mAh battery, which feels like it lasts forever before I need to find a USB-C cable.
Connectivity and Ecosystem
If you have an iPhone, the AirPods Pro 3 offer a level of invisible tech that I honestly miss when I switch. They use the H2 chip (and a U2 chip in the case), which makes things like Automatic Switching feel like mind-reading. I can be watching a movie on my MacBook, get a call on my iPhone and the buds switch over before I even tap the screen.
Plus, the Precision Finding in the Find My app is a lifesaver, the case actually has a speaker that chirps to help you find it under the couch.
On the other side, the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro unlock what I call future mode via Galaxy AI. When I was at a coffee shop in Italy, where the server was speaking Italian, I used the Live Interpreter mode. It beamed a translation of what the person was saying directly into my ears in real-time. It felt like having a sci-fi translator.
You also get Auracast, which lets you broadcast your audio to multiple friends’ buds at once, perfect for watching a movie together on a flight without sharing a single earbud. Something which you can also do with your AirPods.
App Features and Customisation
Samsung’s Galaxy Wearable app is where I spend most of my time. The star of the show is the 9-band custom EQ. Unlike most buds that give you three generic presets, Samsung lets me manually adjust frequencies from deep sub-bass up to 16kHz. I saved a custom profile called Gym Hype that really pushes the 11mm woofer to its limit.
Beyond the sound, the customisation is deep. I can remap the pinch and swipe controls on the stems, toggle the Siren Detect on or off and even run an Earbud Fit Test to make sure I’m using the right tips. If you’re using a Galaxy Smartphone, you also get the UHQ Upscaler toggle, which uses AI to boost standard audio into pseudo-Hi-Fi.
On the other hand, Apple doesn’t even have a separate app, everything lives right in your iPhone’s Settings menu. At first, I was annoyed that I couldn’t find a manual EQ, but then I realised Apple’s Adaptive EQ and Headphone Accommodations are doing a lot of that work in the background. It uses the inward-facing mics to tune the sound to your specific ear canal shape every time you put them in.
What I love about the AirPods settings is the focus on hearing health. I took the 5-minute Hearing Test and it created a personalised audiogram that adjusted my music to compensate for frequencies I can’t hear as well. You also get the Spatial Audio setup, which uses your iPhone’s camera to scan your ears. It sounds weird, but it genuinely makes movies feel more 3D.
Call Quality
Apple’s Voice Isolation is still the winner for me. I was walking through a wind tunnel of a park last Tuesday and the person on the other end said my voice sounded like I was in a quiet library.
The AirPods Pro 3 use a 3-microphone system (two beamforming and one inward-facing) in each bud. They’ve even repositioned the mics to better block wind. It doesn’t just lower the background noise, it practically deletes it using computational audio.
Samsung has made massive strides with Super Clear Call technology. They also pack 3 high-SNR microphones into each bud. These mics are specially designed to pick up your voice while ignoring the chatter around you.
The secret sauce for Samsung is super-wideband Bluetooth, which doubles the bandwidth of your voice. When I listened to a recording of myself, I noticed my voice sounded much more natural and less like a compressed robot. If you’re someone with a deeper voice, you’ll appreciate that the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro don’t clip your low-end tones.
Both of these now support Head Gestures, which is a total game-changer when your hands are full of groceries or gym gear. On the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, I just give a quick nod to accept a call or a side-to-side shake to decline it.
The AirPods Pro 3 do the exact same thing, but they also use gestures to interact with Siri, like nodding to confirm she should read a text.
To be honest, you will look a bit funny nodding at nothing in public, but once you get used to it, you’ll never want to go back to fumbling for your phone.
Who Should Buy Galaxy Buds 4 Pro
Choose Galaxy Buds 4 Pro if…
- You use a Samsung Galaxy phone (especially the S23 or newer).
- You want deep, customizable bass and 8-band EQ control.
- You travel often and need the AI Live Translate features.
- You prefer a transparent case design.
Who Should Buy AirPods Pro 3
Choose AirPods Pro 3 if…
- You are deep in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch).
- You want the absolute best ANC and Transparency mode available.
- You value fitness tracking (Heart Rate Sensor) inside your ears.
- You need the longest possible battery life for a single listening session.
Who Should Avoid Both
You may want to avoid both if:
- You prefer wired headphones.
- You are an audiophile who wants studio-grade sound.
- You are on a tight budget.
- You need universal compatibility across many devices.
Final Verdict
After living with both for a month, if I had to walk out of the house with only one pair, I would choose the AirPods Pro 3. Even though I love the look of the Galaxy Buds, the reliability of the AirPods is hard to ignore.
The 8-hour battery life means I never have range anxiety during my workday and the way they disappear into my ears for hours without causing pain is something Apple has truly mastered this time around.
However, if you are a Samsung user, do not feel like you’re settling. The Galaxy Buds 4 Pro are arguably the more fun pair of earbuds. The bass has more life, the AI translation is a genuine utility for travellers and the customisation options mean you can make them sound exactly how you want.
It’s worth noting that while AirPods can be used with a Samsung phone, they only work as basic Bluetooth earphones, so you’ll miss out on all the magic features that make them special. Ultimately, your phone is the one that makes this decision for you, but either way, your ears are in for a treat.
